Live Auction 2073Ocean Liner
A facing slip from a postal clerk on board R.M.S. Titanic
Lot 76

A facing slip from a postal clerk on board R.M.S. Titanic

APRIL 10, 1912

Closed25 June 2008

Price Realised

USD 21,250

Considering selling a similar item?

Discover its value with a complimentary estimate from our specialists.

More Information

How to sell

A facing slip from a postal clerk on board R.M.S. Titanic
April 10, 1912
recovered from the body of Oscar Woody and stamped with his name. This slip marked mail going to "X New York (D.P.O.) N.Y./From Sea Post Letters", and bears the postmark of the "Trans Atlantic Post Office/AP 10/12 - TITANIC/O.S. WOODY"
5 in. x 3 1/8 in. (12.7 cm. x 8 cm.)

Specialist note

Facing slips were used on board royal mail ships (RMS) to mark bundles of mail by their destination. They allowed the postal clerks to organize mail and account for any sorting errors. As required by the postal service, Woody stamped his name on his slips so that any errors in sorting could be charged to him. Oscar Woody was celebrating his 44th birthday with his colleagues when the R.M.S. TITANIC struck the iceberg. The postal clerks rushed to the mail sorting room to begin hauling the registered mail sacks to the upper decks in an attempt to save them from the flooding. None of the five mail clerks on board the TITANIC survived the accident.